Aftermath_The Armorian Chronicles

by Courtney Beals

  When the bright light dims, she notices who the elderly couple are. They are her grandparents, only they look younger.

  Of course, Lyla thinks. Her grandparents had saved them from the evil. She has always known that, but they would never explain how. They had never wanted to talk about it, and now she knows.

  Her grandparents rush to pick up the children, before sitting on the floor weeping next to their daughter’s dead body.

  Lyla was being shaken by someone, which caused her to wake up. For a moment, she couldn’t tell who it was. Her vision was blurry and it was still dark. Once her vision cleared she was surprised to see who it was.

  “Thomas?” she said wearily. “What are you doing here?”

  He was dressed and looked very alert and awake, like he had just had twelve hours of sleep. He was sitting on the edge of her bed.

  “I felt bad that I wasn’t able to show you around yesterday like I promised, so I was wondering if you would go for a walk with me?” His hand cupped the back of his neck and slowly moved into his hair as he said it. She could sense that he was hesitating.

  Lyla was tired and confused, but she didn’t care. Thomas was asking her to go out with him, and that she couldn’t refuse. Lyla thought she should probably say no so she didn’t seem too interested, but she didn’t want to. She was finally getting the chance to spend time with him alone, which made her nervous and very happy, but she tried not to let him see that.

  “Um, yeah,” she said, sitting up in her bed, the covers still up to her waist. “Just give me a chance to change my clothes and freshen up.”

  It was then that she realized she was wearing a thin strapped top, which made her blush. She moved her hand to her collarbone, but when she noticed her hair was covering it she was relieved and put it back down. He looked at her up and down before shying away. Lyla wasn’t sure if he knew that she noticed. He slowly got up and walked to the door.

  “I’ll be right outside,” he said, closing the door behind him.

  Lyla quickly rolled out of bed and pulled on her khaki pants, with a black shirt, and green quarter-length jacket. It was a safe assumption that it was still a bit chilly out since the sun hadn’t come up just yet. She left a note for Lilly on the table beside her bed explaining where she had gone and laced up her boots after carefully placing a few knives in them. Her weapons belt was left lying on her bed. She didn’t think she would need it just to go on a walk. Her hair was left hanging past her shoulders in messy waves, and she pinched her cheeks to add color to her complexion.

  She opened her bedroom door and he was waiting on the other side, leaning against the wall. They quietly went down the stairs and out the front door, making their way to the back of the house and past the few trees before coming up to the edge of the hill. Far below was a patch of sand that connected to the ocean.

  “Where are we going?” Lyla asked.

  “You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”

  He didn’t look at her, but continued walking along the edge of the hill. They made their way down as far as they could and then had to climb the rest of the way down the rocky ledge to the patch of sand. Wherever he was taking Lyla, it wasn’t easy to get to. They finally reached the bottom, but that was not their final destination.

  Lyla was very adventurous so she didn’t mind the trouble. She looked up and saw how far it was to their house. The stone wall ran all the way up to where the house was sitting.

  Thomas led her down the shoreline. As they walked, she gazed at the waves as they pounded against the sand and drew back in on themselves, repeating over and over. She looked out in the distance and could barely see the horizon in the darkness.

  “Have you ever been out there?” Lyla asked. He looked at her and followed her gaze to the open water.

  “No,” he said. “No one has.”

  “What?” she said, astonished. “Then how does anyone know what’s out there?”

  “They say it just leads to the outskirts of Dresden and the city.”

  “But how would they know if no one has ever been out there?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. His tone was firm and she could tell he was frustrated. Was she asking too many questions, or was he upset that he could not give her a very good answer? “That’s just what they say.”

  “Oh,” was all she could say. She was disappointed by the tone of his voice and he must have noticed.

  “I’m sorry I just…it’s just…I’ve always wanted to go out there on my own and I haven’t done it yet.”

  She could sense the hurt in his voice and regretted bringing it up. She had just reminded him of the one thing he wanted to do with his life. Did he want to be a sailor or an explorer? Both maybe? To be the first explorer of the oceans of Armoria would be a great deal.

  “That doesn’t mean you won’t. You still have your whole life ahead of you.” He smiled, and she followed him as he continued forward, leading them to wherever it was they were going.

  They came to an open area in the rock wall. Lyla thought it was like a cave, and that was exactly what it was. They entered the cave, passing down winding paths until they reached a body of water. The water was bright blue. She had never seen water bluer or more beautiful. Thomas grabbed her hand and guided her over to a flat area to sit. Her heart began to race with her hand in his. He let go as they sat down.

  He settled on his back and looked up, and Lyla did the same. Above the water looked like a starry night sky. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

  “What is this place?” Lyla asked.

  “This is my secret place. The place I come when I have a lot on my mind or I just need to get away. No one else knows it is here because it is very difficult to get here.”

  “Why did you bring me here if this is your secret place and yours alone?”

  He waited for a minute, not sure what to say. “You’re different from everyone else, I think. You have lost and grieved just as much as I have, yet you are an amazing fighter, and you are strong willed. I just thought you would need a secret place to come to just as much as I do. You can tell this cave anything and it will keep your secrets. Its unknown beauty is a release. I’m not even sure what I am looking at, and it is an illusion that I do not dare question.”

  It wasn’t the response Lyla was hoping for. She was hoping he would say that he cared for her just as much as she did for him and wanted to share this sacred place with her.

  “What happened to your parents?” she blurted out.

  He was staring to the stars above and flinched. His muscles contracted and he took in a deep breath. She was not sure if she would get an answer.

  “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she added.

  “My parents died before I was even old enough to walk. Our house caught fire and they burned to death trying to save me. By the time someone realized what was happening it was too late. They were already dead and their bodies were burnt to ashes. There was nothing left to recover. Your father came in the house and carried me out. He saved my life.”

  Lyla was on her side, looking at him while he was telling his story. She felt sorry for him and could feel his pain. He never got the chance to know his parents, but that made them just alike. Lyla had never known her mother or father or even knew that her father was alive until now.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. My mom died when I was very young too. I’m sure William has told you the story already. I thought he was dead too until he showed up at our door the other day. You would think I would be happy to see him, but…I wasn’t. He was alive that whole time and I had no idea. I know I can’t blame him, but that doesn’t make it any easier.”

  Lyla was upset as she talked about her mother and father, but after all these years she found it hard to produce tears just by thinking of them. She was used to her mother only being a thought in her mind. She would never feel her warm hugs or harmonious humming while cooking in the kitchen. She knew her mother loved them, but she would never b
e able to feel it in ways other people could. It was a devastating thought. She wished things would have been different. That her mother was still alive, so they could all be a family again. How different would their lives be if the Demorites had not invaded their homeland and her mother was still alive? She would never know the answer to that question.

  Thomas and Lyla sat in silence and stared at the stars above them.

  “Thank you,” Lyla said, finally breaking the silence.

  Thomas turned to face her. “For what?”

  “For listening. It’s nice to have someone to talk to about personal things. I know I have Lilly, but having you to talk to is…well…I appreciate it is all.”

  “I’ve never really talked to anyone about my past, but for some reason you’re easy to talk to.”

  They held one another’s gazes until he finally broke the connection.

  “Would you like to go to the house and get some breakfast?” Thomas asked.

  “I would love to.”

  After breakfast, Lyla and Thomas went to the town square. Lyla wasn’t sure where he was taking her. They walked up to a brick building and entered the glass doors.

  When Lyla entered, she was completely overwhelmed. This was the biggest library she had ever seen. Books were stacked up to the ceiling, covering every inch of the walls. There were bookshelves that stood in the middle of the room, and there was a twisting iron staircase that led to a second-level balcony. Lyla was even impressed that they had the rolling ladders that moved to different areas of the wall.

  “This is amazing,” Lyla breathed. “How did you know I like to read?”

  “Sometimes I walk by your room and see you reading.” His face turned red, realizing he’d just admitted he had intruded on her private time. “I saw the book on your nightstand the other night when you had a nightmare.”

  “Sleeping Beauty.” She smiled. “My sister found that for me. It is such a great read. It just proves that a single kiss can fix anything, even a coma-induced princess.”

  When she looked up he was smiling down at her. Her hand touched his as her fingers caressed his fingertips, but he pulled away and scratched the back of his neck.

  “I’m going to get some coffee. There’s a coffee shop attached over here.” He pointed to the side with his thumb. “Do you want some?” Before Lyla could answer he was already walking away and into the other room.

  Lyla stood, slightly disappointed. She didn’t think it would be this hard to catch his attention, but maybe he didn’t like her after all. Maybe she was being too forward and that was only pushing him away even more. The fact that she had never been interested in a man before made her question her every move.

  She followed him into the next room and acted like nothing happened. He ordered her a coffee and they explored the library before going back to the Langston home.

  Lilly got up and headed downstairs, where she found William making breakfast. After breakfast, Lilly went looking for Lyla thinking maybe she had just slept late, but when she got up to her room she looked around and realized she was gone. She noticed a note that was left on the table beside her bed.

  Lilly,

  Thomas has invited me to take a walk with him. I am not sure where we are going or when we will be back, so don’t feel obligated to wait around for me. Wish me luck!!

  Love,

  Lyla

  Lilly was happy for her sister, but she also thought she was being foolish. She would find something to do while her sister was away.

  Suddenly the doorbell rang, and it was a lot louder than Lilly had expected. She knew William would get it, so she went to her room. She already had herself ready for the day, even though she had no idea what she was going to do yet.

  William called for Lilly to come downstairs. When she came to the bottom of the steps, he had told her she had a visitor. She was surprised. Who in Armoria would want to see her? She went to the door and opened it. On the other side was the tall dark-haired boy with brown eyes.

  “Charles, what are you doing here?” She was annoyed that he came to see her.

  “I came to ask you if you would like me to show you around today?” He handed her a beautiful single red rose that she immediately threw on the floor. His smile turned upside down, and she slammed the door in his face. He rang the doorbell, and when she did not answer, he rang it again and again and again.

  Lilly finally answered the door once more. “What do you want?” she yelled.

  “Please, I just wanted to show you around and I wanted to apologize for running into you at the arena. It was very unlike me to do something like that.”

  Lilly was still not convinced, but she had to do something to waste the day away.

  “Fine, I will join you around town, but this is not a date and you are not to touch me. Not even once. Are we clear?”

  “Yes, of course!” he answered with a smile.

  She turned to William who was listening in on the entire conversation. “I’m going out.” She noticed a smile creeping up on his face. “I’m only going because I have nothing better to do,” she scolded.

  “I wouldn’t think it be for any other reason,” he assured her.

  When they reached the town square, Charles showed her every shop they had, and also mentioned some of the history of the older buildings. Lilly hated to admit it, but she was actually having a good time. She still had no interest in Charles though. After they went through all the shops, they decided to go for a ride down the trails that led to the houses and fields.

  “So, Charles, tell me a little bit about yourself.”

  “Um, what do you want to know?” Charles asked nervously.

  “Tell me about your family.”

  “I live with my parents and my sister.”

  “You have a sister?”

  “Yes, but she is much younger than I am,” said Charles. “I love my family, but I can’t wait to have a place of my own.”

  “What is stopping you?”

  “Well, it’s an Armorian tradition that one must reside in their original home until they are married. Of course that doesn’t mean people stay there all the time. Couples still like to stay at each other’s houses every once in a while. Technically, they still live with their parents even though they don’t stay there every night.”

  “Really? That seems…different.”

  Lilly wasn’t sure what to think about it. Sure, Lilly and Lyla lived with their grandparents, but what choice did they have. The Demorites invaded their homeland, so they had limited to no options of moving into another home. Here it seemed like they had the freedom to move out of their parent’s house when they wanted to, except they couldn’t because of tradition?

  As they came around a corner and to a dark patch of the trail where the trees covered most of the light, Lilly felt a little tense. She was not afraid of the dark, but this place didn’t look right. Something about it was eerie.

  Charles noticed the look on her face and told her it would be all right. He had gone through this area many times before. This helped relieve the tension, until three dark figures came out from behind the trees. Lilly immediately grabbed for her weapons, but she had forgotten to put her weapons belt on before they left the house. She went to turn her horse around, but another man appeared behind them.

  “Well, what do we have here?” one of the men asked.

  Charles must have known who they were because he let out a big breath of air. “It’s just me, you guys,” he said, sliding off his horse. “We don’t want any trouble. We just want to pass through.”

  “Did you hear that, boys? They just want to pass through.” The three other men began to laugh. “If you want to pass, it’s going to cost you.”

  Charles started walking toward the man. “Look, I don’t have anything to give...” Before he could finish, the man punched him in the stomach, and he collapsed to the ground. Lilly got off her horse and ran to him.

  “And what do we have here? Maybe you can give us something
in return?”

  The man started walking toward her, and she felt someone behind her. She threw her elbow back and caught one of the men in his ribs. He slightly stumbled and pressed both hands to his side. The guy to her left came at her and she punched him in the face. She reached for the knife in her boot, but it was too late. Another man came behind her and grabbed her arms, pulling them behind her. The man that had spoken before punched her in her stomach and she tumbled to the ground, then they pinned her to the ground and began tearing at her clothes.

  Charles came up behind them and pushed them out of the way. One of the men grabbed Lilly and held her back while Charles fought the other guys. He was swinging left and right and avoiding punches like he was a trained fighter. One by one he took them down, and the three of them were lying on the ground.

  He turned to Lilly who was still held back by the fourth man. He had a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her if Charles came any closer. Lilly looked into his eyes and knew exactly what he wanted her to do. She pulled his arm away as she stomped on his foot and Charles threw a knife that landed in the middle of his forehead. The man fell instantly.

  Lilly stood motionless. She had never been in a situation without a weapon to defend herself. If she’d had one, she would have been just fine.

  “Lilly, are you okay?” he asked. He moved his hand up to her arm, but she pulled away.

  “Don’t!” she said. “It’s time for me to go home.”

  “Let me take you.”

  “No, I can find my way.”

  Lilly mounted her horse and rode away, leaving Charles standing alone on the dirt path.

  Lyla was sitting in her room reading a book when Lilly came in. She sat on the bed next to Lyla and leaned her head against her shoulder.

  “How was your day?” Lyla asked. “William told me you spent the day with Charles. I hope you didn’t give him a hard time.” She nudged her sister in a playful manner, but then noticed something was wrong when Lilly didn’t respond the way she expected her to. Lyla closed her book and turned to where she was sitting directly in front of her sister and stared at her.